Gerald J. Stubenhofer Jr. Partner

Jerry is chair of the firm's retail services industry practice group. He offers clients a broad spectrum of legal experience gained as the senior vice president, chief legal officer and secretary for a multibillion-dollar retail corporation, and as a first-chair commercial litigator for business-focused law firms.

An experienced trial lawyer, Jerry has tried numerous commercial cases to verdict. He has successfully handled complex franchising and distribution cases, employment matters such as restrictive covenant disputes, and general commercial litigation. He practices before federal and state courts across the country and has first-chaired numerous jury trials, bench trials, and domestic and international arbitrations. Jerry also handles all appeals that flow from his trial work and has argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Pennsylvania Superior Court and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.

Jerry has led McGuireWoods’ distribution and franchise practice group, participated on the firm’s technology and recruiting committees, and contributed as a member of the e-discovery team.

In addition to his law firm practice, Jerry served for seven years in high corporate and legal officer positions to a publicly traded, vertically integrated dietary supplement corporation. He was responsible for all legal affairs of the company and its subsidiaries, including those related to international expansion and operations, domestic franchising, governmental affairs, public affairs, real estate, and employment, as well as all litigation and compliance with Food and Drug Administration, Federal Trade Commission, and Securities Exchange Commission regulations. He also was an integral part of the management team that took the company public in 2011. Jerry was a member of that company’s Executive Committee, and worked regularly with its board of directors and each of the board’s committees.

Experience

Obtained 2.7 million dollar arbitration award in breach of contract action for national retailer, The Finish Line. Inc.

Obtained $2 million jury verdict following a three-week trial in San Diego, California, on behalf of a marketing company in a case involving the breach of and fraudulent inducement into an exclusive distribution agreement governing the rights to a patented dietary product.

Obtained a directed verdict on behalf of eight defendants in a $6 million defamation claim brought by a former executive terminated by the corporate defendant because of a violation of the company's conflict-of-interest policy.

Obtained a defense verdict and verdict on a counterclaim on behalf of the largest privately held company in the world sued on a breach-of-contract claim.

Represented international franchisor in a multimillion-dollar international franchising arbitration filed by a Mexican franchisee to prevent an alleged encroachment of a protected territory.

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